Refrigerator Divided Shelf Design to Maximize Interior Volume
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional refrigeration devices face challenges in maximizing usable interior volume while maintaining thermal insulation and aesthetics, particularly with the use of shelves that require grooves and protruding elements, which complicate production and limit the flexibility of compartment arrangements.
Innovation Solution
The design features a refrigeration device with grooves limited to the rear wall area, allowing a carrier plate to be formed in one piece without protrusions, and includes removable support projections for divided shelves, enabling secure and aesthetically consistent storage solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If grooves are provided in the front area of the side wall to accommodate shelves, then shelves can be inserted and removed, but the protruding areas between grooves reduce the usable volume of the interior and form cold bridges that impair thermal insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The groove structure is extracted from the front area of the side wall and retained only in the rear area. This removes the harmful protruding elements from the front area, eliminating cold bridges and maximizing usable interior volume, while the rear area grooves continue to provide shelf accommodation functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The shelf support function is transferred from horizontal groove engagement in the front area to vertical support projections extending from the rear wall area. This dimensional shift allows shelves to be supported without front area grooves, eliminating volume loss while maintaining operational capability
2Volume of stationary object
If grooves are limited to the rear wall area to increase usable width, then usable volume increases and thermal insulation improves, but the carrier plate cannot be supported in the front wall area
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having grooves in the front area supporting the carrier plate, support projections extend from the rear wall area forward to provide support. This inverted support structure eliminates the need for front area grooves while maintaining reliable carrier plate support in the front wall area
3Adaptability or versatility
If a divided support plate is used to allow partial removal for accessing tall goods, then compartment flexibility improves, but the use of unframed divided shelves is not readily possible with conventional groove designs
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate is divided into multiple independent parts that can be selectively removed. The rear part remains in the grooves while the front part can be removed to access tall goods. This segmentation enables unframed divided shelves to be used, combining flexibility with manufacturing simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The groove and support projection design accommodates both undivided shelves and divided shelves with the same structure. The grooves can hold either a complete carrier plate or just the rear part of a divided plate, providing universal functionality that simplifies manufacturing while maintaining versatility
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
At least one groove (6), into which a shelf (10; 12; 13) can be inserted, is arranged in a rear region (4) on a side wall of an interior of a refrigerator, and a first supporting projection (7) and a second supporting projection (9) are formed level with the groove (6) in a front wall region (3) of the side wall.